Printing mechanism



Oct. 8, 1935. A. w. MILLS PRINTING- MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

Wkyvzyroua I Y @J m ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1935.

7 A. w. MILLS PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24,1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 22%? A /M A PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Oct. 8-, 1935. A. w. MILLS PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1932 7 Sheets-Sheet 4- c 5815432)["GFEDCBARQPONILKJZYXWVUTs X nnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnlldrtwzu o W BY I ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1935. A. w. MILLS ,0

PRINTING MECHANISM I Filed Sep't; 24,1932 '1 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1935. i A. w. MILLS 2,016,682

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1952 TSheets-Sheet 6 mad ATTORNEY 7 Sheets-Sheet. 7

FIGJZ.

INVEN WQNEY bet. 8,1935.

A. w. MILLS PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24; 1932 nHunHU. 2

Patented on. s, 1935 PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MECHANISM Albert W. Mills, East. Orange, N. 1., allignor, by mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New \York, N. Y., a corporation'of New York Application September 24, 1932, Serial No. 634.8901 1o Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to accounting machines and more particularly to the printing mechanisms thereof. The printing mechanisms of tabulating machines as presently developed are usually provided with type carriers which have arranged thereon a plurality of type elements, one for each of the digits and one for each of the letters of the alphabet and such other symbols as it may be desirable to print upon a record.

In machines in which type carriers of the reciprocating type are employed, the provision of alphabetical type elements increases the mass which must be reciprocated for each operation of the machine and also necessitates a longer stroke of the type carrier in order to cause each type element to pass the printing position with the result that the spee'dof operation and general eiiic iency of an alphabet printing machine is considerably less than a machine designed to print only the digits. L

It is the main object of the present invention therefore to so constructand arrange the alphabet printingmechanisms of a tabulating machine to the end that the efliciency of the machine may be 2-5. improved and the rate of operation considerably increased over that of previously constructed machines of this character.

A further object of the machine resides in the provision of a novel zoning mechanism which through improved construction and unique manner of operation permits the rapid and accurate selection of a particular alphabetical type element under control of perforations in a single column of a record card.

According to the present system, alphabetical characters are represented on the well-known Hollerith 'tabulating card by two perforations located in different index point positions of a single column of the record card. One of these perforations is known as the digit perforation and the other as the zone perforation. The record cards are passed through the usual card feeding and analyzing devices so that they pass a set of upper analyzing brushes and exactly one machine cycle later move in transit past a set of lower analyzing brushes. During the movement of the record card past the upper brushes, analysis is made of the zone perforation. Later in the operation of the machine, as the card passes the lower brushes, the digit perforations are analyzed. The separate analyses of both of the perforations control the positioning of the type carrier and type elements to select the alphabetical character represented by the particular arrangement of the perforations analyzed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a type carrier which is provided with a readily removable type head which will permit of the removal of the head and the substitution of a different head without dissembling the entire printing 5 mechanism.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form-of mechanism em bodying the invention or from an inspection of 10 the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

' In the drawings: 15

- Fig. 1 is a central section of the printing mechanism of an alphabetical tabulating machine.

Fig.'2 is a plan section of the printing mechanism of the machine taken substantially along the lines 2-.-2 of Fig. 1. 20

Fig. 3 is a partial outside view of the printing mechanism showing some of the driving mechanism therefor.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on lineal-4 of Fig. 2

showing the operating cams for the zoning mech- 25 mechanism shown in position preparatory to re- 35 ceiving a zone controlling setting.

Fig. 8 is a further position view of the parts shown in Fig.7 showing the manner in which the zoning mechanism effects the operation of the type carrier. 40

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the type head.

Fig. 10 isa detail view of the type carrier to which the type head is resiliently connected.

Fig. 11 is a detail of a slider which is adapted to effect relative movement between the typehead and-the type carrier.

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line I2-|2 of Fig. 10 showing the manner in which the slider in Fig. 11 is connectedto-the type carrier of Fig. 10.

the type head of Fig. 9 and the slider of Fig. 11 cooperate after they have been separately mounted upon the carrier of Fig. 10.

Fig. 15 is a simplified circuit diagram showin the circuits which control the operation of the printing mechanism.

The arrangement of the perforations on the record card-will first be explained. Referring to Fig. 5, the record card C has the usual perforations for indicating numerical values as shown at the left end of the card. The alphabetical characters from A to I are combinations of one of the numerical characters from 9 to I plus a perforation in the R index point position. The characters J to'R each comprise a perforation in one of the numerical positions 9 to I plus a perforation in the X index point position. The remaining letters of the alphabet, namely S to Z, each comprises a combination including one of the perforations 9 to 2 plus a perforation in the 0 index point position. The record cards are placed in the card feed mechanism of the machine which is not shown but which may be of the type fully shown and described in Patent No. 1,827,259, granted to J. R. Peirce, October 13, 1931.

Fig. 15 shows the card analyzing elements of the card feeding mechanism diagrammatically as representing upper analyzing brushes UB and lower analyzing brushes LB past which the cards are traversed in succession. The upper analyzing brushes are controlled so as to analyze only the index point positions 0, X, and R while the lower brushes may analyze all of the index point positions.

A representative circuit through the upper brushes may be traced from the left side of line I9 to the common contact roller I I, perforation in the record card 0, analyzing brush UB, wire I2 to plug socket I3, thence through a suitable plug connection I4 to socket I5 and from there "through a zone selecting magnet I6, wire II, cam

contacts I8 to right side of line I9.

A representative circuit through the lower brushes LB may be traced from line It], wire 20, print magnet 29, plug socket 22, suitable plug connection 23, plug socket 24, wire25, brush LB, perforation in the record card C, contact roller 26, wire 21, cam contacts 28, to right side of line I9. Cam contacts I8 and 28 are controlled by suitable controlling cams which are mounted on the operating shaft SI of the machine.

In Fig. 6 is shown the type head 29 which is provided with a plurality of type elements 38 upon which the digits and alphabetical characters are arranged as indicated. For the purposes of explanation the various characters are arranged and labelled in accordance with a particular zone; thus the digits are included in zone I, the letters A to I in zone 2, J to R in zone 3, and S to Z in zone 4.

Reference to Fig. 5 will show that the letters I, R, and Z each contain a perforation in the 9 index point position but have a different zone perforation O, X, and R. Similarly, the letters H, Q, and Y each contain the perforation 8 and a different zone perforation.

The type head is arranged to be moved past the printing position in synchronism with the movement of the card past the lower brushes and as the 9 index point position traverses the lower brushes, one of the characters I, R, or Z will be in printing position, depending upon the zone Fig. 14 is a detail showing the manner in which setting effected prior to the movement of the card past the lower brushes.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the main operating shaft 3I of the machine from which the card feeding mechanism may also be driven carries a gear 32 which through an idler 33 drives agear 34 mounted upon a shaft 35. Secured to the shaft 35 is a pair of complementary cams 36 which are adapted to oscillate a bifurcated follower arm 31 secured to a rod 38 upon which is also attached an arm 39 which has link connection 40 to an arm 4I secured upon a shaft 42.

In Fig. 1, shaft 42 carries arms 43 which have depending link connection 44 with a bail 45 pivoted at 46. Also pivoted at 46 are type carrier carrier 48 is provided with a series of stops 5I which, as seen in Fig. 10, are labelled 9 to 0 and which represent corresponding index point positions on the record card C. As the type bar 48 is moved upwardly, the stops 5| move past a stopping pawl 52 in succession. Pawl 52 is held in position in Fig. 1 by a latch 53 which has link connection 54 with armature 55 of print magnet 2|. Energization of magnet 2I will trip latch 53 to permit pawl 52 to rock into engagement with the type carrier under the influence of its spring and engage one of the stops 5| 'to interrupt further upward movement of the type carrier. When a type bar is used to print numerical characters, it will, of course, be controlled by a column of the record card which contains but a. single perforation in accordance with zone I of Fig. 5 and for such operation the type head 29 and the'carrier 48 are maintained in the relationship to each other as shown in Fig. 1 and as the card is passing the lower brushes a circuit completed through the perforation will energize the magnet 2 I, as already traced in connection with Fig. 15, and will trip pawl 52 into engagement with the stop 5I corresponding to the location of the single perforation in the record card. This will result in the presentation of the corresponding digit type element to the printing line. The aforedescribed manner in which digits are selected for printing is substantially in accordance with the manner in which such digits are usually selected in this type of machine.

Where alphabetical characters are to be printed, the type head 29 will be displaced upwardly one, two or three steps with respect to the type carrier 48, accordingly as the character to be printed is contained in zone 2, zone 3 or zone 4, so that if, when the print magnet 2I is energized under control of a 9 perforation analyzed by the lower brushes LB, an R perforation had previously been analyzed by the upper brushes UB, the type head 29 will have been displaced upwardly one step thereby presenting the I type to the printing line rather than the 9 type. Similarly, if the perforation accompanying the 9 perforation had been in the X position, the type head 29 would have been displaced upwardly two steps to present the R type and in a similar manner the zone perforation of II accompanying the 9 perwhich the mechanism whereby such relativev movement is effected will'be fully set forth.

Referring to Figs. 1, 9, 10, and 11, the type car- .rier 48 is shown in Fig. 10 as being. provided with" aslot 58 and a guide 51 which are adapted to receive block 58 and lower end 59 respectively of the type head 29, the block 58 sliding within the slot 58, and the lower end 59 sliding'in the gutde 51. A spring 88.whose lower end is anchored to the carrier 48 is provided .at its upper end with a hooked member 6| (see also Fig. 13) which, when the head 29-is slid upon the carrier 48 is adapted to be hooked over the lower edge of an opening 52 in the shank of thetype head 29, the spring 58 thus tending to resiliently hold the head 29 in,

cooperation with the carrier 48.

Slidably mounted upon the lower portion of the carrier is a slider 63 (Fig. 11) provided with blocks 84 which cooperate with suitable openings in the carrier 48.- A spring 58 anchoredat its lower end to the carrier and anchored at its upper end to the slider 63 (see also Fig. 12) tends to move the slider downwardly into engagement with a block 61 riveted to the carrier 48. With the parts assembled as in Fig. 1, spring 85 urges the. slider 83 downwardly to cause "the lower end of extension 88 on the slider to engage the block 61 on the carrier and spring 88 urges the type head 29 downwardly so that the lower end 59 thereof engages the upper edge of the extension it is simply necessary to-unhook the spring ter-- minal 8| and raise the type head 29 vertically out of engagement with the carrier 48. Inspection of the parts as assembled will show that if the slider 88 is moved upwardly, the head 29 will move likewise. A spring-pressed latch 69 pivoted at the lower end of the carrier 48 is adapted to cooperate with steps I8 integral with the slider 53 so that as the slider is moved upwardly with respect to the carrier, the latch 89 will cooperate with the steps I8 to hold the parts intheir displaced relationship. The marmer in which such displacement is automatically eifected under control of the zone perforations will now be explained in detail.

Referring to Fig. 7, a plurality of vertically slidable combs II are provided of which there is one for each type carrier 48. Each comb is provided with three stops I2 which are adapted to be moved upwardly past a stopping pawl I8 in synchronism with the passage of the zone perforations 0,15, and R past the upper brushes U3.

The zone magnet I8' which is energizedunder control of the upper brushes will, upon energization, attract its armature 14 to .draw a link 15 toward the left to release a latch I5 and free pawl 13 so that its spring may rock it into engagement with one of its stops 12 to intercept further upward movement of the comb I I. Comb 'II is urged upwardly underthe influence of a spring 11 and restored in a downward direction by a bail I8 secured upon a shaft 19 which in Figs. 2 and 4'also carries an arm 88 whose'free end has a roller in cooperation with an arm 8I secured upon a shaft 82. Shaft 82 also carries a follower-arm 88 in engagement with the cam 84 mounted upon shaft 85, Shaft 85 isdriven from the main shaft 8 I of the machine through gear connection comprising agear 88 carried by the shaft 3| (see Fig.

,3),,idler' 81,, and gear 88carried by shaft 89. In

Figs. 1 and 2, shaft 89 carries agear 98 at its other extremity which, through idlers 9|, drives a gear 92 carried atone end of shaft 85. The cam 84 is thus driven in s'ynchronlsm with the printing and card feeding mechanism of the machine and is adapted to make one revolution for each card feeding orprinting cycle of the machine.

At the extremity of the downward stroke of comb II, an extension 93 thereon is adapted to engage pawl I8 to re-latch the same upon latch I6. Comb II haspivoted thereto at 94, an arm whose free end lies in the path of movement of the slider 68 and whose lower edge rests upon a bail 96' which is pivoted at 91. Under control of the zone perforations O, X, and R, the pivot point 94 of arm 95 may take one of three positions as indicated in Fig. 8. In this figure, the parts are shown with the comb 'II intercepted under control of a perforation in the 0 index point position under which condition the point of connection 94 assumes its lowermost position.

When'the type carrier is in its lowermost position the bail 96 is adapted to be rocked in a counte'rclockwise direction to rock the arm 95 in a similar direction into engagement with the lower extremity of slider 58. It will be apparent that the distance which the free end of arm 95 is moved upwardly under control of the bail 98 is dependent upon the location of its pivot point '94 at such time. Thus, if the point 94 is located as shown in full lines in Fig. 8, the free end of arm 95 will be moved upwardly to its position of maximum height, the other two positions to which it may be moved being indicated in dotted outline. 40

Thus a zone perforation in the 0 index point position will result in the movement of the free end of arm 95 three steps from its normal position; a perforation in the X index point position will cause it to move two steps; and a perforation in the R position will cause it to move one step. These steps of movement are, of course, transmitted to the slider 58 and it in turn will be moved one, two or three steps in accordance with the setting of the combs .II, the latch 89 carried by thecarrier 48 serving to hold the slider in its displaced position with respect to the Garn r.

Bail 98 is-actuated through the medium of a toggle mechanism comprising links '98, one of which is pivoted to the bail at 99 and the other is pivoted to an arm I88 atx I8I. The point orconnection of the links 98 carries an arm I82 which is also pivoted at I88 to an arm I84 secured upon a shaft I85.

Referring to Fig. 4, shaft I85 also carries an arm I86 which has link connection I81 to an arm tion under control of its cam III the lower connection I8I of the toggle will be restrained against downward movement and the straighten ing of the toggle will move the point of connection 99 upwardly, causing the bail 95 to rock i a counterclockwise direction.

ment.

Referring to Fig. 3, rod H3 carries an arm -I I4 whose upper end is adapted to be engaged by the free end of an armature H5 of a magnet H6. Energization of magnet H6 will permit arm H4 to rock in a counterclockwise direction under the influence of its spring and thereby carry with it rod H3 and the arm II2. I

Referring to the circuit diagram (Fig. 15) the magnet H6 is shown as connected in series with a pair of cam contacts H1 and a switch H8 between the lines I 0 and II. When the machine is used for alphabetical printing, the switch H8 is closed as shown and contacts III which are controlled by a cam mounted upon shaft 3I is adapted to close shortly after the R index point position has been analyzed by the brushes to energize magnet H6 and permit the effective operation of the toggle links 98. When the machine is used for numerical printing exclusively. the zoning mechanism may be partially disabled to lighten the operating load on the machine. Under such conditions, the switch H8 is opened or moved to its dotted line position shown in Fig.

. 15 so that the magnet H6 remains continuously deenergized. Referring to Fig. 7, the arm II2 will therefore remain continuously in the position shown and straightening of the toggle 98 through the action of the controlling cam will cause the pivot point IOI to move downwardly, arm I08 rocking about its pivot to permit such action while the pivot point 99 remains undisturbed.

Referring to Fig. 3, the shaft I9 has arm and link connection H9 with a shaft I20 which carries a bail I2I (see also Fig. 7) Through this connection rocking of shaft I9 to restore the combs II will be accompanied by clockwise rotation of bail I2I to restore latch I6 and armature I4 through the medium of link I5.

In Fig; l the shaft I20 is shown as having arm and link connection I22 with an arm I23 carried by rod I I3 so that clockwise rotation of shaft I2I will cause movement of rod H3 in the same direction to re-latch arm H4 against the free end of armature H5.

As the type carrier 48 descends from printing position with the slider 63 held in displaced position by latch 69, it is. necessary to first restore the slider to its lowermost position before effecting a new zone setting thereon. To this end a. bail I24 is provided which is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7 before the type carrier reaches the lower extremity of its move- In such position the bail I24 is in the path of an extension of latch 69 and as the carrier continues its descent, the extension of the latch will engage the bail I24 and cause clockwise rotation of the latch to release the slider 63 which under the influence of its spring will then return to its normal position. Following this action the bail I24 is lowered and the slider 53 is in readiness to receive a new setting under control of the arm 95.

The mechanism for controlling the operation of the bail I24 is shown in Fig. 4. Bail I24. is carried by a shaft I25 which through arm and link con-' nection I26 is' connected to an arm I.2I secured upon shaft I28 which shaft also carries a cam follower arm I29 which cooperates with a cam E30 secured upon shaft 85.

The entire sequence of operations of the machine will now be briefly reviewed with reference to the printing of a particular alphabetical character. Assuming a column of the record card C to in the 9 index point position and in the 0 index point position. As the card begins its transit past the upper brushes, the combs II will be restored from the position they occupy in Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 7 and as the O, X, and R positions of the card approach the brushes, the comb 'II will be moving upwardly so that analysis of the O perforation will energize magnet IE to trip stopping pawl I3 into engagement with the O notch I2 on the comb II intercepting the comb'in the position of Fig. 8. The type carrier at this time is in its uppermost position effecting printing under control of a preceding card and is now returning to its lowermost position. As the carrier is descending, the bail I24 is moved upwardly and will engage the latches 69 and reset the parts to their normal position. Following this, the toggle links 98 are operated to rock bail 96 upwardly to transfer the setting of the arm to the slider 63 which in the present instance will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 8, moving upwardly three steps as shown. Thereafter the carrier 48 moves upwardly as the card proceeds downwardy past the lower analyzing brushes LB and the uppermost stop 5| (Fig. l) of the type bar will be opposite the toe of stopping pawl 52 when the lower'brush analyzes the 9 perforation causing the carrier to be intercepted at this point in which position the Z type element 30 is opposite 1e printing line. The printing hammers 535 are now tripped in the usual manner to effect printing on a suitable record.

It will be noted that the resilient connection beween the type head and the carrier 48 which permits the ready removal of the head also makes for smoother and quieter operation of the mechanism in that as the type bar restoring bail 45 (Fig. 1) moves downwardly to restore the type bars, the shock of impact between the bail 45 and the carrier 48 is transmitted to the type head 29 through the connecting spring 60.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a machine of the class described, a type bar, a type head slidably carried thereby which comprises a plurality of groups of type, means for moving said bar, means for intercepting said bar to select the type elements of one group for printing action, and electrically controlled means for causing a sliding action between said type bar and said type head before said bar is slidably movable thereon, means cooperating with said stop for selecting said type elements for printing action and electrically controlled means for causing sliding movement between said elements and said bar in one direction only to determine which of said type elements is to be selected.

3. In a printing machine, a reciprocable type carrier. 2. type head comprising a plurality of groups or type slidably mounted on said carrier, means for differentially positioning said carrier to select the type of one oi said groups, and electrically controlled means for changing the initial type head comprising a plurality oi groups of type, siidably carried by said carrier, and electrically controlled means ior eiiecting relative movement between said type head and said carrier while the latter is held in rest position whereby different groups oi type will be eiiective for printing action in accordance with the extent of relative displacement between said head and said carrier.

5. A printing type bar including a carrier and I a type head removably secured thereto, means for causing positive, relative positioning oi said head with respect to said carrier and means carried by the carrier for holding said head and carrier in displaced relationship. g

, 6. In a machine oi the class described, record analyzing means ior analyzing perforations in a record card, a carrier and a type head slidably secured thereto, means controlled by said analyzing means for causing positive diiierential positioning of said type head upon said carrier and means carried bythe carrier ior holding said head in displaced position'upcm said carrier.

7. In an accounting machine comprising in combination, a movable type carrier, having a pinrality oi type elements thereon, means ior moving said carrier, card analyzing means, means controlled by said analyzing means in response to the analysis oi a perioration'in an index point position oi a record card for causing positive relative movement betweensaid type elements and said carrier and iurther means ior controlling the movement of said carrier aiter the type elements have been moved relatively thereto.

8. In an accounting'machine comprising in combination, a movable type carrier, having a plurality of type elements thereon, means ior moving said carrier, card analyzing means, means controlled by said analyzing means inqo response to the analysis oi a perforation in an index point position oi a record card ior causing positive, relative movement between said type elements and said carrier, and iurther means controlled by said analyzing means ior15 subsequently controlling the extent oi movement oi said carrier and the relatively displaced type thereon.

9. In an accounting machine comprising in combination with a movable type carrier hav-.g0 ing more than two groups oi type thereon common to a card column, controlling means whereby index points in a certain field oi a controlling card eiiect relative movement between said carrier and said groups oi type to select one oi said 25 groups and additional controlling means subsequently operative whereby other index points in another field oi the card control the selection ot a particular type in the selected group. i

10. In an accounting machine comprising in 30 combination a carrier having groups oi typedisplaceably mounted thereon, analyzing brushes ior analyzing a certain ileld oi a record card to eiiect displacement oi said groups oi typ with respectto said carrier to select a group oi type 35 concurrently with said analysis and an addi- ,tional set oi brushes ior analyzing another card field to subsequently control the selection oi a type oi the selected group.

ALBERT W. M11118. 0 

